Green and Proud
by Eminempern
Summary: Bronze? Why are they so wonderful? I think it's time the lesser colors got a little more attention. Chapter 6 is FINALLY up!
1. Chapter 1: Hatching and Impression

_**Disclaimer: I own not Pern, nor the dragons, nor anything in this story, except for my characters, whom I would have you leave alone, thank you much.**_

**ANs: So... This story is a respite from all those lads who go out and Impress bronze. Yes, I know, the competition thing is overdone. But please try not to tell me that Vardino is an overused character-type.**

**The discussion that goes on in the beginning of the story was something that wriggled around in my mind one day. What are bronzes so good for, anyway? And, no, this is not a one-shot Hatching story. Just a start.**

**Oh, and if there are any mashed-together words, they're not my fault. This site loves doing that to me.**

**(ANs, pt. 2: Thank you, Astrokath,** **for your advice. I hope I've cleared things up and fixed everything here.)**

* * *

Stakay flopped, exhausted, onto his cot. All the other candidates tramped in after him to collapse after another long day of doing chores around the Weyr. Who would have thought it would be so tiring to be a candidate? The candidates for the upcoming clutch were all put to work, so as not to sit around idle for a week before the Hatching.

However, they were still lads, and couldn't remain stationary very long. They finally all got in a rough circle to talk – about the Hatching, naturally.

"What color?" Branor asked. As usual, this sent up a flurry of babble.

"BRONZE!" was the common consensus.

"Well," one lad, Taratifil, said slowly. Everyone turned to look at him.

"You don't want bronze?"

"Well, if you think about it," Taratifil said. "A bronze'd be more work. Bigger. And you're more likely to get responsibility. And if you don't, you might look bad. People'd say, 'He's a bronzerider, but didn't get even Wingsecond! He must be a lazy, terrible slob!' or something."

The candidates blinked as they absorbed his logic.

"I hate work," one boy said, frowning.

"See my point, then? Besides, you'll automatically get more work if you Impress bronze," Taratifil continued. "They're how much bigger?"

No one knew.

"Well, either way, they're still the biggest –,"

"No, queens are bigger!" Maldir interrupted impudently.

"But we won't get queens. So, bronzes are bigger, so you'd have to oil that much more dragon. They'd eat more, take longer to bathe, not fit in small places, and either make you look good or really bad."

"But, they're the most… pre-prestigious," Branor said, tripping over the three-syllable word. "People like bronzes better. If you were a green rider, you wouldn't get so much admiration."

"No," countered Mulmin, a bossy know-it-all that Stakay didn't particularly like. "Even getting any dragon puts you at the same admiration level of a Senior Journeyman crafter! After that, _prestige_ is a little less consequential." Branor made a face at Mulmin's back.

"I'm not afraid of work," someone proclaimed boldly. "If I get a bronze, I think I'd want to spend hours with it."

"Have you seen a rider oil his dragon?" another person snorted. "It takes long enough with a green."

Stakay listened as points and counterpoints flew around, arguing, arguing. He gave a sigh, running his fingers through his thin, sandy hair. They'd had this conversation so many times that he couldn't really think of anything new to add. He was tired.

"What is it, Stakay?" a voice asked suddenly, sneeringly. Stakay snapped back to reality. _Vardino_. "Do you not want a bronze?"

Stakay hotly replied, "Of course I do!" Everyone did, despite Taratifil's preaching against them.

"You couldn't Impress a bronze if your life depended on it," Vardino snorted. Stakay felt an angry bubble grow up in his stomach. The conceited, infuriating, insulting, rude dimglow!

"Well, you'd be lucky to get a firelizard!" Stakay snapped back. Even as he said it, he knew his comeback was pathetic. Why did Vardino have such an effect on him? Stakay knew that the other lad wouldn't Impress. Couldn't. He wasn't worthy. Right? And yet, Vardino always knew exactly how to rub him the wrong way.

Stakay was actually well-liked among the other candidates. It was just Vardino. Had anyone else insulted Stakay, the others would have immediately stood up for him. But Vardino... No one dared get on the wrong side of Vardino. Stakay vaguely wondered why. The lad was fairly large, he supposed. But it was mostly his dagger tongue and... there was just something – intimidating about him.

Branor, a good friend of Stakay, bracingly changed the subject. "What'll your name be if you Impress?" he asked the room at large.

Stakay breathed a soft sigh of relief as another burble rose up. Then, he seriously pondered that. _S'kay? S'tkay? Or how about... St'kay?_ He liked that one.

"B'nor!" Branor decided.

"M'dir!"

"G'ranar!"

"St'kay!" Stakay added. The others nodded, then went on. Stakay found it interesting how some people would have theirs longer, like G'ranar instead of shorter, like G'nar.

But a name was only a name, and not nearly as important as the dragon that induced it.

* * *

_Hatching. _

The word strummed through Stakay's mind. Again and again. It was time for the Hatching.

_Hatching._

_Hatching._

_The eggs are _Hatching.

Stakay felt his feet burn away. Perhaps only the bones would be left after this hatching. The thought oddly mesmerized him, and he found himself focusing on it. His feet, when the eggs were HATCHING? But then, he'd always been good at distracting himself from whatever made him uncomfortable or nervous.

Vardino shoved roughly past Stakay then. Stakay felt anger well up inside him. That infuriating candidate couldn't even arrive on time? And he expected to get a bronze? Well, Stakay would just have to show him!

The hum coming from the dragons was enough to make Stakay hunch up his shoulders against the noise. And then...

The first egg Hatched.

It was a blue, a squealing, stumbling little beast that awkwardly clambered to its feet, flapping wet, pointless wings. It wavered for a moment, then staggered to a lad nearby, who immediately dropped down to stroke its eye ridges. And so Maldir became M'dir, the first Impression of the clutch.

The next egg that Hatched contained a brown, which Stakay originally mistook for a bronze. Still, he eagerly moved for it, only to be disappointed.

A blue, brown, and – bronze! They were the next to burst from their eggs. Stakay felt his breath catch in his throat. He edged toward the hatchlings. But when he got near them, he realized that Vardino was already approaching them. Stakay swallowed and moved forward anyway.

It was sweetest happiness that filled Stakay when the little bronze refused Vardino. The baby couldn't be looking at... Stakay, could it be...?

No. It wasn't.

Then, four eggs hatched simultaneously, and Stakay tore his eyes painfully away from the bronze, not even wanting to see who it had rejected him for. Instead, Stakay focused on the new four dragons. In fact, he focused as hard as he could on them.

There was a sturdy, firm brown that was quite pale. Two of them were blues, one a dark, deep blue that seemed almost purplish. The other blue was of average coloring, and with an oddly long and thin muzzle. The other dragon was a green that seemed very scrawny and small.

The four dragons staggered toward the waiting candidates, making the usual impatient noises that made Stakay's heart pound. The brown immediately fell at Branor's feet. Stakay felt happy for his friend as Branor Impressed, but he felt the need to get a dragon of his own consumed him.

Stakay became aware that Vardino was near him. What was he doing? Then Stakay saw it. The bronze. It was heading this way! Toward him! And Vardino.

Stakay felt a strangely numbing sensation as the bronze knocked Vardino over. Stakay watched blankly as those new talons, already so sharp, gouged deep wounds in Vardino's stomach and arms.

_That dragon just hurt Vardino. He's not breathing. Oh, shards! Oh, he's not breathing!_

Though his thoughts screamed inside his head, all Stakay could do was stare, utterly still, at the bully candidate. Dead? Not dead. Surely not. Of course not. He'd disliked Vardino, yes, but not wanted him _dead_.

And of course, that was when the little head hit him hard, squarely in the back of the knees, almost causing him to topple over. The head of the little green, the scrawny one. Stakay turned to look into its eyes, startled.

But by then, the beast was no longer 'the little green,' but Kaelbrith. His Kaelbrith. His, his, his delightful, green joy! Sure, she was tiny. Very tiny. Very little. And so thin! And her color, while dark, had a rather sickly look. But she was Kaelbrith, and that was all that mattered.

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**Thanks muchly for reading, and if you would review, I would be extremely happy. Very very happy. Any advice will be taken, and used (if possible). And, CrossoverQueen, I believe you said you liked greens best? Here you are!**

**(Oh, and if the Hatchings seemed a little awkward and choppy, sorry)**

**Any more concrit would be welcome!**


	2. Chapter 2: Injury

_**Disclaimer: Same old, same old.**_

**ANs: Here you go! Chapeter two!**

**(Thank you, astrokath, for your usual useful concrit. I hope I've fixed everything here. The new line instead of the black-and-white one feels awfully corny, but more fitting in Pern.**

**And I know I jump around a lot in this chapter, but I was trying to cover everything and still keep moving past the boring stuff. Sorry if it's confusing.**

**Thanks, everyone, for the feedback!)

* * *

**St'kay watched as Kaelbrith slept, her sides rising and falling with a mesmerizing rhythm. He felt his eyes unfocus, until all he could see was a green lump. His green lump.

Branor had Impressed brown Broxth. The male dragon was next to Kaelbrith, also sleeping. St'kay lifted his gaze to B'nor.

The new brownrider was a shortish lad, though still taller than St'kay, who was his cousin. B'nor had light brown hair that stuck out at odd angles unless forcibly restrained with whatever substance B'nor could get a hold of. The lad had watery blue eyes and the biggest smile. Even though he wasn't very attractive visually, he was a fine person to be around, and had many friends. Ever since they had come to the Weyr, B'nor had begun to treat St'kay kind of like a brother. But ever since he had Impressed Broxth, he had reverted to simply being cousins and friends with St'kay.

B'nor's mouth split into the broadest smile St'kay had ever seen there. "Wow," breathed the new weyrling. "Wow."

Indeed, no words seemed adequate to St'kay when you thought about the intense bond between a dragon and rider. And the weyrlings' relationships were so new and fresh. St'kay was floating in euphoria. Kaelbrith was his, all his, his lovely little green lady. He could hardly believe the difference between now and what it had been like before they had Impressed. Everything was so… changed. New. Like he had finally woken up after sleeping all his life.

Kataronz, who had been another candidate, came over to the riders. St'kay wondered if the other lad had Impressed.

Kataronz was a tall lad with thick brown hair that waved neatly back from his head. His eyes were a cool brown, with the slightest hint of gold flecks. He had a lean, quick figure, and was a few inches taller than B'nor, who was taller than St'kay. Kataronz ran a jaunty hand through his hair.

"Who are yours?" he asked, a giddy grin playing around the corners of his mouth. "Didn't get to see you after the Hatching."

St'kay had never really talked with Kataronz _before_ the Hatching. "Green Kaelbrith," he said, the bubble pf ecstasy pressing up in his belly again. "I'm St'kay now." _Green Kaelbrith_, those words. He would never tire of saying them.

"Oh, how nice," Kataronz said. St'kay felt himself stiffen at the slightly condescending tone in Kataronz's (or whatever his name must be now) voice. "A… green."

St'kay felt his emotions automatically shutting off, felt his face close down. He, too, forced a polite smile. There he went again, ignoring what he didn't like.

"I'm B'nor," B'nor said. He tossed a glance over his shoulder at his sleeping dragon. "Brown Broxth."

"A brown, good for you," Kataronz said, still almost as though he were speaking to a child, though somewhat less for B'nor. "Well, I'm now K'ronz, of _bronze _Veloth." He put delicate stress on the color of his new partner. St'kay felt an itching irritation. Kaelbrith stirred slightly in her sleep.

"Congratulations!" B'nor said brightly. St'kay also smiled and nodded. A bronze.

The thought of that color suddenly snapped his thoughts back to Vardino. What had happened to the other candidate? All St'kay could remember from after Kaelbrith's Impression was a blur of noise and sound, and _her_ mind.

"Well, what are we standing around here for?" asked a voice. The three lads whirled around to see a tall, lean man in the doorway. He had a thin face, with a long nose, and scraggly brown hair, streaked with gray, that was tied back with a red cloth. His piercing blue eyes fixed on the weyrlings. "You should be back, enjoying the feast."

The new riders hesitated. St'kay certainly wanted to escape K'ronz, but they were loathe to leave their dragons.

"Ah, come now," the man said. "Your dragons will always be there, should you be lucky. You can leave them to have a bite to eat."

They paused a moment more. "Fine, then," the man said. "You three get to the feast, now, and that's a direct order from your weyrlingmaster. Or do I have to have Muridth wake your dragons and get them to force you to go?"

St'kay quickly lurched forward.

* * *

B'nor, St'kay, and K'ronz entered the huge hall. It was full of people, riders and holders and crafters. The latter two had come for the Hatching. There was food, drink, chatter, and Harper music. 

"Here, come with me, St'kay," B'nor said, tapping his friend on the shoulder. "I think I see some of those bubbly pies you love."

"Thanks," St'kay muttered under his breath as the brownrider steered him away from K'ronz.

"For what?" B'nor asked, a bland expression on his face. But he winked as he snagged a bubbly pie from the platter. "C'mon," he said. "Let's find our family."

St'kay didn't have to look very hard.

"_Stakay_!" a high little voice cried. A tiny body hurled out of the mass of people and slammed into St'kay at high speed. He barely had time to register a goldish blur that was her hair. St'kay felt his knees buckle.

"Careful, Annakay," he said, grinning. "That's where Kaelbrith… introduced herself to me."

"You gotses a dragon!" his younger sister squealed. "A green-y one, too!"

"Congratulations!" St'kay's mother said, folding him in a hug. "Kaelbrith is her name?"

"And mine's St'kay," he said.

"I'm sure I saw your mother around," St'kay's mother said to B'nor. She was the sister of B'nor's father. "Your father was talking to a rider friend of his, she said."

"Thank you," B'nor replied. "I'm sure she'll find me sooner or later."

"Klay-breeth," Annakay said, trying to pronounce the name of St'kay's dragon.

"Kay-ell-brith," he corrected her.

"Kee-brell-ith," she tried again.

St'kay shook his head and gave up.

"Where's Onorkay?" he asked his mother. His older brother would never have passed up a chance to come to the Weyr.

"Still off with the Lower Caverns girls, doubtless," his mother replied dismissively. "That's where we saw him last. He'll come back soon, I'm sure." She smiled affectionately. "They can never keep him away from his little brother."

St'kay grinned ruefully. "I only wish they could!"

"BRANORBRANORBRANORBRANORBRANOR!"

B'nor whirled around. "Time to meet _my_ family," he said, his face proud and happy.

* * *

St'kay fell into his bed, pleasantly lightheaded from dancing, talking, eating, drinking, laughing. His hand reached instinctively for Kaelbrith, reveling in the softness of her hide. 

Of his friends from candidacy, J'mral, H'pran, W'vrox, and Y'min had Impressed. There were many other new riders, of course, but St'kay had arrived relatively late, and didn't know the others well enough to want to search them out and ask if they had been blessed with a partner for life. Even those disappointed had been invited to the Hatching feast.

St'kay's imagination began to drift off into the sky.

_Kaelbrith lifted her wings, craning her neck upwards._

Are we leaving yet? _she asked impatiently._

"_Almost," St'kay replied. "Just let me get your riding straps tightened."_

_He adjusted them, then expertly swung up onto the long, green neck, settling neatly between the ridges, easy as breathing. She tensed beneath him, bunching up her powerful hindquarters. St'kay slapped her neck, and she took off! Her wings flapped in long, hard strokes as they left the ground, their tethers severing as the sky took them. The wind hit St'kay's flying goggles, and a delighted smile broke across his face..._

A smile remarkably like that of his fantasy was his expression as he fell into a dream that seemed to be very green.

* * *

Vardino coughed, and blood spattered the sheets of his cot. He felt himself double up in pain. Unfortunately, that only succeeded in ripping tender scabs that had just barely managed to form. As the agony scalded his brain, he raggedly drew in a deep breath. All around him, blood soaked everything. Red, red, red. And because of a bronze dragon! 

"Vardino?" someone said kindly. "Here, lad. We're numbweed-ing you again."

Again? What good would it do this time? He gasped sharply (which added to the hurt) as careful hands spread the salve across his wounds. But it couldn't do much to the deep gouges. Vardino still felt as if – well, as if a baby dragon had walked across his stomach.

Ironic, that.

_

* * *

St'kay, St'kay, I'm hungry. Really really really really really hungry. St'kay? I'm hungry. _

"Mmmfghrch?" And this incredibly intelligent statement started off St'kay's first full day as a dragonrider of Pern.

"I'm V'lian. My dragon is brown Muridth. While you are weyrlings under our command, you are to follow every rule we lay down. You are to do anything he or I say. You are to behave as properly befits a dragonrider. Am I completely clear?"

St'kay felt that merited a "Yes, sir."

Turned out it did.

V'lian began to pace back and forth in front of the weyrlings, his thin body amazingly strong for an old man. He hardly seemed his age.

"Your dragon is your mount, your friend, your equal. Not your pet. If your dragon is warning you of something, you're going to listen to him – or her. Is that understood?"

Were they going to have to give him a _yessir_ for every paragraph the man spoke?

"Yes, sir!"

"Today, you're going to start learning how to care for your dragons," V'lian said. He thudded Muridth's large brown shoulder. "Will someone bring me the oil?

"Right. So, you're going to take the paddle and dip it in the oil. Make sure you have enough. Then, you smooth it carefully over his – or her – hide. Be gentle, but get the job done. Think you can do this? Doesn't look too hard, now does it?"

"No, sir."

"Then begin! Everyone come get an oil jar and a paddle and start to give your dragonet its first oiling. They're going to need it a lot at the beginning. They grow sharding fast for a while here."

St'kay collected the necessary items and then turned to his dragon. She obligingly positioned herself so he could smear the sweet-smelling oil on her hide. It was already patchy.

She sneezed.

_That tickles._

"Sorry," St'kay said, grinning at the thought of a dragon being tickled.

They were quickly done. St'kay turned to the rider next to him. "Do you know what we're supposed to do when we've finished?"

"Sorry," came the cool reply. "But not all of us have small dragons. I'm afraid I don't know. Veloth and I are still oiling."

"Sorry, K'ronz," St'kay said, wishing he'd known before who the other rider was, before asking. He resolved to stay away from the bronzerider as much as he could.

* * *

Over the next few days, the weyrlings learned to take care of their partners. The dragons were oiled, bathed, and fed. They were all growing rapidly, and ate excessively. Kaelbrith's back was soon level with St'kay's waist. 

The best thing about having a dragon was just the feeling that they were always _there_. Kaelbrith (when she wasn't napping) was just a constant presence in his mind. If St'kay stubbed his foot, she knew and asked if he was OK. If St'kay was bored, he'd talk to her. If he heard something amusing, he told Kaelbrith. Whether dragons had a sense of humor was, of course, debatable; but for his sake, Kaelbrith at least pretended to enjoy it.

It seemed like forever before Kaelbrith learned to fly. She was taller than St'kay by then, if still the smallest dragon of all the weyrlings. She had muscled up considerably.

"Right," said V'lian. "St'kay and Kaelbrith, it's your turn."

St'kay led up an excited green dragon, his hand on her ribs. He could feel her vibrating in anticipation.

_Ready, girl? _St'kay asked her.

_Yes! _Kaelbrith replied immediately. She wasn't nervous – she _was _a dragon, after all – but St'kay felt that he had nerves enough for both of them. _Do not worry, _she told him reassuringly. _I'm ready. I am ready for anything._

_Of course you are, _he said.

As it turned out, she was. She bunched up her powerful hindquarters, and St'kay bit his lip. Then, she slingshot herself into the air! Her flight was rocky and not at all the smooth, majestic gliding that dragons were so famous for. But it made her rider beam with pride and joy. Even the tough Weyrlingmaster V'lian had to crack a smile. It was just such an intense moment.

_I am doing it, St'kay! I am doing it!_

_You are, Kaelbrith! You _ARE!

* * *

The one slight downside to being a weyrling was the utter lack of privacy, St'kay reflected as he settled down in his bunk. The dragons were getting larger, a sign that they would soon be moving out of the barracks. But that would have to wait until they could carry their riders in flight. 

B'nor flopped down on his bed next to St'kay, letting out a muffled moan – muffled because his face was pressed into his pillow. "Mffmumff, grrblubble," he said.

"Sorry?" St'kay said, lifting a blond eyebrow.

"I said, V'lian must _want_ us all to die of exhaustion," B'nor said sourly.

"C'mon," St'kay said, shaking his head. "All we're doing is what normal dragonriders do." _We'll soon be normal dragonriders, too, _he reflected happily, extending warm thoughts to Kaelbrith, who sleepily returned them.

"Yes, well," B'nor said grumpily, clearly in no mood to be even slightly reasonable. "If we miss even _the smallest spot_ while oiling, he practically makes us start all over again! I mean, come on! One _little spot_ isn't going to kill Broxth! Really!"

"_I _think it's _good _to be thorough." St'kay winced inwardly as he heard the haughty voice. "Veloth is always _perfectly _oiled." B'nor made a face that only St'kay could see. But really, the greenrider wanted to make one, too. K'ronz was intolerable! How that that conceited dimglow managed to Impress a sharding _bronze_, by the Shell of the First Egg?

"What, Kaelbrith? You're hungry?" St'kay asked quickly, climbing off his bed and toward the dragon. Away from K'ronz.

_No, I'm not, _she said, lifting a sleepy, confused head.

_Yes, you _are, St'kay said forcefully.

_I am? Why?_

_K'ronz, _St'kay said tersely, by way of explanation.

_Well…_

"OK, c'mon then!" St'kay said loudly, pushing on her shoulder. "If you want to eat, we'll have to go to the kitchens!"

_Fine, _she grumbled, getting up. _But you must learn to deal with Veloth's rider soon. I can't just be hungry whenever you need me to be._

* * *

This time, both St'kay and Kaelbrith were trembling with excitement. 

"Mount your dragon, St'kay!" V'lian called. Kaelbrith dropped her shoulder, and St'kay scrambled up. His messy ascent was nothing like the graceful vaulting of the experienced riders, but St'kay didn't care. All around, the other dragons and riders were watching. Those that had already flown together were rather bored, but those that had yet to go stared tensely at St'kay and Kaelbrith.

St'kay fastened his safety straps. He twisted his hips, making sure he was firmly in place, nestled between two neck ridges. He snapped his goggles to his face, though they probably wouldn't be necessary. Kaelbrith shifted eagerly under him.

"Right, then. Off you go!"

Kaelbrith sprang into the air with the ease of experience. Muridth flew alongside her, carefully near her, in case something went wrong. Her wings pumped hard on either side of St'kay as they powered upward. A grin of pure exhilaration split St'kay's face in two as they climbed higher and higher.

_Am I too heavy for you, love? _he asked anxiously.

_Not at all! _Kaelbrith replied instantly.

Soon, they had gone as high as Muridth would let them, and Kaelbrith leveled out. They flew over the Weyr Bowl, and St'kay felt a whoop of joy escape his lips. Kaelbrith, in an excess of happiness, began to turn, dipping a wing.

But she was not yet experienced when it came to flying with passengers. And she had forgotten to check where Muridth was. She wrenched around, and St'kay felt his heart freeze as he heard her wing _pop_. She gave a cry of alarm, and Muridth's bellow reverberated through the Weyr. Immediately, two blues winked in beneath them.

Kaelbrith panicked when she found that her wing wasn't working right, and began to fall. The two blues rose up under her, and supported her. Muridth's strong talons gripped her shoulders, and slowly the formation of dragons lowered themselves to the ground. Kaelbrith's squeals filled the air, which had gone silent otherwise. St'kay was terrified.

_KAELBRITH! _he cried. _KAELBRITH!_

_ST'KAY!_

He had to calm her down! His mind was numb, frozen! He still managed to push through that haze. Kaelbrith was in pain! Finally, he found her.

_Kaelbrith! NO! Re-relax. _Hewas such a hypocrite. _Your wing – it'll be fine. And Muridth will not let us fall._

But she was nearly beyond reasoning. She clung desperately to his mind, frantic with fear, pain, and worry.

They landed, and the two blues hastily extracted themselves, leaving Muridth to make sure that Kaelbrith didn't hit the ground too hard.

Weyrlings immediately swarmed around the injured green, but Muridth's angry bellow stopped them. Dragon eyes were whirling bright, anxious colors.

St'kay scrambled to unstrap himself and slide off of Kaelbrith's neck. He hastened to her head to grab her nose and stop her tossing her head. He reached instinctively for her eye ridge, rubbing it furiously. "Sh-sh," he soothed her, terror pumping in his heart.

V'lian was at his side in an instant. "I've sent for the healer," he said tersely. St'kay nodded soundlessly.

_You'll be all right, Kaelbrith. You'll be all right. I'm right here. I'm right here.

* * *

_

**Fairly long chapter - for me. Please review - constructive critisism is how we all improve as writers, isn't it? I thank everyone who has reviewed so far.**


	3. Chapter 3: Healing

**_Disclaimer: You know, the "fan" in fanfictiondotnet is surely clue enough that I don't own this._**

**A/Ns: Sorry it took so long for this chapter. Yesterday, I couldn't upload any documents, despite the fact that this was ready and beta-d (thank you, wonderful beta KiaraAlexisKlay). But, here it is. Any questions or slight corrections are welcome - I nitpick, and welcome everyone else to do the same. Thanks. Enjoy the read! (Oh, and any mashed-together words are, again, courtesy of the site, not me.)

* * *

Kaelbrith's wails still filled the Weyr. St'kay was beside himself with worry. Her wing was twisted around oddly. It wasn't right… not normal… Kaelbrith was injured! St'kay felt terribly guilty.**

"I'm so sorry, Kaelbrith!" he moaned. "If I hadn't been with you, you wouldn't have hurt yourself –"

"St'kay!" V'lian said sharply. "Don't you _dare _blame yourself!"

St'kay bit his lip. Kaelbrith grew louder, and St'kay felt his legs buckle at the fresh wave of pain. "Isn't a Healer coming?" he demanded wildly.

"Of course!" snapped an impatient, bossy voice.

A large man came up, his incredible bulk forcing him to waddle. He was holding a bowl, and behind him, several lads were stumbling under the weight of various burdens. "I'm Journeyman Healer Gralblam," he said. His voice was unusually high-pitched, and nearly drowned out by Kaelbrith's cries. "Calm her down!"

St'kay, terrified and disconcerted, reached for Kaelbrith's mind, but it was confused and filled with agony, and he felt himself rebound, stumbling away.

"I… can't," he gasped.

Healer Gralblam huffed impatiently, snapping, "The greens and blues and their riders are always apt to panic." He looked at Weyrlingmaster V'lian, annoyance still around his tiny brown eyes. "Can another beast calm it down?"

"_It"? _St'kay felt himself stiffen. _"Greens and blues and their riders are always apt to panic…" _St'kay was sick of the stereotypes about his dragon's color. He opened his mouth, puffing his chest out. The healer turned to look at him.

"Well, don't just stand there, you empty-headed child! Help us!"

St'kay deflated. He meekly began to help slather numbweed on Kaelbrith's injured wing. He wondered what numbweed on the _outside _would do, when the injury was on the _inside_. She wasn't _bleeding _or anything. He didn't know what he would have done if she had been _bleeding_. He decided, however, not to question the healer, instead obediently working, trying to calm Kaelbrith. Her anguished sounds had been reduced to moans.

"Why do you need numbweed?" demanded V'lian. "The green's got herself an internal injury." St'kay envied the man's courage.

"Standard in procedures like these," Gralblam said in his high, muffled voice, his chins wobbling. V'lian stared at him for a moment, and then shrugged.

Kaelbrith's pain hadn't been reduced by the numbweed, but she was being held silent by older, more powerful dragons. They had such a firm grip on her mind that St'kay could almost feel their presence when he reached for his own dragon. _Are you OK, girl? _he asked anxiously.

She didn't deign to reply to that.

* * *

"You'll be sleeping here, lad," said Masterhealer Flinorn, patting the cot with one hand. St'kay tore his eyes away from Kaelbrith, who was curled up next to it, her wing bandaged and sticking out at an awkward angle. She would be all right, they said. They wouldn't even tell St'kay what was wrong with her – had she strained her wing? _Broken _it? He'd never know. The injustice of it rankled in him. She was _his _lifemate. He had the right to know.

"If you need anything, there'll always be a journeyman healer on duty at night," continued Flinorn, the head healer of Fort Weyr, pointing up at a hard wooden chair near the entrance of the infirmary. "You can go to him – or her." He sighed, shaking his head. "Whatever prompted _girls _to become healers?" he asked disgustedly. St'kay just politely shrugged. He wasn't one for politics. "Anyway, greenrider, I think it should be dinner time about now," Flinorn went on. "Go get yourself some food."

St'kay hesitated, glancing at Kaelbrith. She stirred slightly in her sleep, snorting.

"She'll be fine, lad," said Flinorn, gently propelling St'kay away from her. "There are five on-duty healers right now. We'll watch her good. Now go eat! And that's an order from your superior."

* * *

_Everyone's my superior! _St'kay raged inwardly. His hands were balled in fists, and he ground his teeth furiously. _I'm a greenrider. A green_rider_! I'm a dragonrider! Why should I be lesser in anyone's eyes? Sure, if I go to a hold, I'll be oohed and aahed over, because I have a dragon. But here… Bronzes! Browns! Even blues! Why are they so much better?_

He remembered that little bronze hatchling. Stumbly, staggering. Angular and awkward. Hide gooey and dark. Kaelbrith, now that St'kay reflected, had actually been much prettier at hatching, a fine green and dainty. That bronze… he was no more wonderful than any of the other hatchlings. Why, then, was he so coveted? So bronzes flew queens. One out of how many got that privilege? And they were big. So what? Greens were so much more agile. It wasn't fair! Dragons make riders. Green dragons do not make their riders inferior. The logic was infallible.

"Watch where you're going, weyrling!" snapped an impatient older rider as St'kay accidentally hit him.

"Sorry…" St'kay said, looking at the man's knots, "… brownrider."

The man paused, squinting at St'kay. "You're the lad whose dragon injured herself today, aren't you?"

St'kay's stomach squirmed. "Yes, sir."

"Wish her well." Then, he was gone.

"Th-thank you, sir!" St'kay called, surprised. But then the anger set in. The man hadn't even asked her name, or if she was all right! _Is it because she's a green?_

_No, no, can't be. Just because he hasn't the time to trouble himself about weyrlings._

_Hasn't the time? Where could he be going at dinertime?_

"Oi, St'kay, watch it!" B'nor grabbed St'kay by the shoulders to stop him. "You just hit me."

St'kay winced. "Sorry, 'Nor," he mumbled.

"You okay, cousin?" asked B'nor, tilting his head and looking concerned.

St'kay shrugged. "Hungry, I guess," he said, forcing himself to straighten up and his face to clear. "You going to dinner?"

"'Course! Oh, how's Kaelbrith?" B'nor asked hastily, having remembered what his cousin and friend had gone through earlier that day.

"Sleeping," St'kay replied. "I'm to eat, then I'm going to go back and stay withher. Did Broxth fly well?"

B'nor drew himself up proudly. "Very well for a first-timer, V'lian said," he said happily. Then, he relaxed and frowned. "K'ronz got the highest praise." He altered his voice to a high, squeaky, almost feminine imitation. "_Oh, K'ronz, you did marvelously. Veloth is such a splendid flier_!" He shook his head disgustedly. "For a bronzerider, I really don't like him all that much."

" '_For a bronzerider_'?" St'kay repeated, lifting an eyebrow.

"Eh, you know what I mean."

_Do I? What were you supposed to mean? _St'kay wondered.

"Hey, St'kay!" called R'lern, walking up to them. "How's Kaelbrith?"

"Fine, 'Lern," St'kay said, forcing a smile. "How did Xoteth fly?"

R'lern grinned. "V'lian said he was one of the best blues today!"

"Congratulations!"

More friends joined them as they went into the eating hall. They all sat at the weyrling table and waited for their food.

"Ay, 'Kay, how's Kael?"

"Hello, St'kay!"

St'kay replied numerous times to the question about Kaelbrith, then settled in and got the stories of the day. Apparently, brown Zameth had also had an accident flying – he'd nearly collided with the side of the Weyr Bowl. But he'd managed to careen off in time, and was OK, if a little sore. How was it fair that a near-collision let a dragon get away with nothing, and yet Kaelbrith's playful tip of her wing had landed her in the infirmary?

Finally, the food came, and the usual good-natured squabbles broke out. An older rider at a nearby table harrumphed, annoyed. "You're dragonriders, lads! Act the part!"

But that would never subdue the rambunctious boys. Their arguments over who would get the roast wherry first ended when S'mal took a fork to the head, and a wingleader came over to berate them. "You're acting like them!"A thumb jerked in the direction of the un-Impressed boys of the Lower Caverns, who were engaged in similar battles for sustenance.

"Imagine that. Guess what we _were_, not too long ago," B'nor muttered under his breath to collective, smothered chuckles.

* * *

"I'm back, Kaelbrith!" St'kay said racing into the infirmary and skidding to a stop in front of their little section. She lifted a sleepy head, eyelids drooping.

_Welcome back, _she said. _Where are we?_

He laughed, kneeling down to scratch her eye ridges. "The infirmary, Kae," he said, fondling her green head. "Are you OK?"

_I cannot move my wing, _Kaelbrith said, sounding rather miffed. _And it itches._

St'kay chuckled. "You're still itching?"

Her indignant response had him laughing again. He hugged her head to his chest. "At least you're OK, girl." She rumbled. "I love you," he whispered.

"Right, now, time for her to sleep." St'kay jumped, gasping. Flinorn had snuck up behind him. "And I daresay you need some rest, too. Shards," he said, blinking. "She'll scarcely fit in the weyrling section in here any more. She's growing fast."

_Wow, she'll get to be moved up to the adult dragon injuries section, _St'kay thought sarcastically. _What an honor_.

* * *

Vardino gasped sharply, bending double again, feeling his scars stretch and burn. He bit his lip until he drew blood to hold in a cry of pain. The wagon bumped along, the herdbeasts pulling it oblivious to his agony. He yanked the reins weakly to stop them. They finally got the message and slowed.

He fumbled for the medicine and numbweed they'd given him when he left the Weyr. He eagerly slathered on the numbing solution, sighing as most of his pain was relieved. Then, he tenderly rubbed in the ointment that the headwoman had specifically said his wounds needed. The cream stung frightfully, even with the numbweed, and Vardino again muffled a shout.

"_You shouldn't go yet,"_ _said Headwoman Allinoa anxiously. "Not alone, at least."_

"_I won't stay here."_

"_Lad, your scars are still tender –"_

"_The scars will always be tender, Weyrleader."_

"_You don't even know where to go, Vardino –"_

"_I don't care."_

"_But –"_

"_Wait before you make a decision like this –"_

"_I'm going and you can't stop me!"_

"All right, I'm OK again," Vardino panted. The beasts merely stood. One lowered his head to chew on some plant life nearby. "I said _go_!" shouted Vardino furiously, slapping the reins hard on their backs. They immediately jolted forward while their rider winced, his vehemence taking its toll on his injuries.

* * *

B'nor flopped down on St'kay's bed, throwing down a hide that had writing on it. "Long day today," Broxth's rider panted. "We perfected the firestone and began work on _between_!"

"Good," St'kay said, trying to not let his voice sound too hollow. "What's that?" he asked, craning his neck awkwardly to get a better look at the scrap of hide his friend was brandishing now.

"Instructions for you to look over, so when Kaelbrith gets out of here, you two can work on 'stone and _between_," B'nor said. "You can read, right?"

"Yeah, I guess," St'kay said, remembering his lessons with the Harper. He'd had little patience for learning to read, but he'd been forced to. "Is it hard?"

"_Between _isn't, really, 'cause your dragon does all the work. I mean," B'nor amended dutifully, "it's your responsibility to _always _have coordinates in your head to get you in and out. But, yeah, it's easy. And firestone, you just gotta feed it to your dragon and make sure he – uh, she – doesn't bite her tongue. Sharding easy."

"Thanks, B'nor. I'll look 'em over."

Broxth's rider left, and St'kay began to read through the sheet of instructions. Kaelbrith came up behind him, putting her head over his shoulder. Her huge, spinning eye was right in front of his face. "Oi, Kae!" St'kay said, pushing her muzzle away. "I'm trying to read!"

_What?_

"Do you mean what what, or what am I reading?"

_What?_

* * *

**Thank you for reading! Please review!**


	4. Chapter 4: Tuhhhnawww

**_Disclaimer: Even if I did own Pern, it would have rotted away by now from my lack of updating._**

**A/Ns: Hey! I'm back! Remember me? I'm the author of this story. Sorry I took so long to update. But here's part four, beta-d (thank you, KiaraAlexisKlay!) and ready to go! As always, reviews are welcome, even critisism.**

**

* * *

**The next morning, St'kay woke up to find himself not in the weyrling barracks. He blinked in the darkness, sitting up. He instinctively reached for Kaelbrith's mind, and found that she was asleep. 

As his eyes adjusted, he realized that he was in the infirmary, and then he remembered everything.

He lay back down in his scratchy cot, closing his eyes again. Then, he sat up and slid out of bed. He went over to sit by Kaelbrith. He reached out to gently rub her deep green shoulder. She was big now, nearly full-grown. He sighed impatiently. They could be flying together, if only…

It was safe to think such thoughts while she was asleep, so he wouldn't worry her. She would feel guilty that she had gotten hurt when her rider so wanted to fly with her. No, he would pretend that it didn't bother him a bit.

After rubbing her rising and falling sides once more, St'kay walked out to see if he could find someone to talk to. It was still fairly early in the morning, but he'd never been one to sleep very long. And being a weyrling had trained him to wake up earlier than ever, as well.

The Healer on duty was leaning against the wall, his hands absently running over his belt knife. He had rounds and other duties, but apparently he had a bit of time off right now.

"Good morning," St'kay said. The man looked up.

"Hello. You're the one with the injured green, right?" he said.

"Yes, I'm St'kay," St'kay said.

"What's her name?" asked the Healer.

St'kay felt a bubble of happiness that someone would ask after his dragon. "She's Kaelbrith," he answered, the name coming so beautifully and naturally. He loved to introduce her.

"She'll be hungry soon, when she wakes, right?" said the Healer. St'kay paused, mentally counting the days since she had eaten, then nodded. "I'm to have you brought some food to feed her."

Kaelbrith had been hunting on her own ever since she had learned to fly, but St'kay realized they were going to have to revert to the good old bucket of meat.

"I'm Ganvre," added the Healer. "I'm a Journeyman. I was so excited to be assigned to the Weyr." He grinned, looking around the infirmary. "I've always loved dragons. I wish I'd been Searched…"

St'kay was suddenly aware of the fact that he was extremely lucky. Had he not been Searched, not been chosen out of all the lads, he would not have gotten his Kaelbrith, would not have made his lifetime friend, and everything would have been so different. But he was a dragonrider now.

"And if _you're _hungry," added Ganvre, "you can go get breakfast as usual."

"Thank you, but I think I'll take care of Kaelbrith first," said St'kay.

"I'll send for meat."

"Thank you," St'kay said again.

He went in to wake his dragon, playfully shaking her. Shaking the bulk of a dragon is never an easy task, and it was his voice, not the shaking, that woke her. She opened the outer lid, the thinner inner ones still closed over a slow blue eye.

"Good morning, sleepy-head," said St'kay. "I'm having food brought to you, so _I_ can eat breakfast."

She drowsily got to her feet. _Okay._

St'kay reached up to tug her snout down to him, so he could scratch her eye ridges affectionately. "Wake up, girl," he said.

_I'm hungry._

"That's why I just said they're bringing food," St'kay said patiently.

_Oh._

"How's your wing?" he asked, letting go of her head so he could go examine the injured appendage.

_It hurts when I move it._

"Then don't move it."

She gave a disgusted snort. _How do I not move it?_

He gently tapped the bandages that were wrapped around the wing, wincing as Kaelbrith's pain rebounded through him. "Ow!"

_I told you it hurt, _she said reproachfully.

Someone cleared their throat, and St'kay turned to see Ganvre, holding an immense bucket. He held it out to the rider, and Kaelbrith, craning her neck, eagerly inhaled the scent. _That smells good, _she said happily.

"Thanks," St'kay said, taking the bucket from Ganvre. He sat down on his cot, holding the bucket on his lap. Kaelbrith greedily shoved her muzzle in, gulping her food in a way that somehow reminded St'kay of their Impression day. That first meal had been as fast and messy as this one, but now St'kay didn't need to admonish Kaelbrith to chew. She was careful not to choke herself.

As she ate, St'kay glanced up to see Ganvre watching wistfully as Kaelbrith ate. Realizing that St'kay was looking at him, the Journeyman gave a guilty jump. "Sorry. Dragons're just so amazing…"

"I know," replied Kaelbrith's rider. "It's okay."

* * *

When Kaelbrith had finished eating, St'kay brought her out to lounge in the sun, near the infirmary so that he could eat his own breakfast. By now, the Weyr was beginning to wake and become full of movement and noise. St'kay loved his days in the Weyr – never dull, that was for sure. 

He made his way to the group of his friends, who were emerging from the barracks, their dragons hopping up to the Rim, where they began to soak up the morning light.

"Hey, 'Kay!" said R'lern.

"How's Kaelbrith?" asked B'nor.

"She's doin' okay, I guess," said St'kay. "Wing hurts like anythin', but she ate a good breakfast this morning."

Everyone nodded, and then they made their way inside to seat themselves at their table.

* * *

That day, St'kay and Kaelbrith made their way carefully to sit on the grass and watch the weyrlings practice. They were working a little more on flying. Kaelbrith was stirring uncomfortably next to St'kay, repeatedly apologizing that they couldn't join her hatchmates. He reassured her adamantly every time, saying firmly that he still loved her and it wasn't her fault. 

When his friends weren't flying, they sat with him, talking and laughing with him. St'kay appreciated it. He didn't feel so left out with them around.

Finally, though, V'lian shouted, "Everyone has to be over here! You could be learning valuable tips about flying!"

The boys rolled their eyes, muttering mutinously, but bid St'kay farewell and went back to join the group.

Kaelbrith nuzzled St'kay. _I love you, _she said.

_Love you too, _he replied, rubbing her cheek. _How's the wing?_

_Hurts, _she said. _I itch._

_Everywhere, or on the wing?_

_Both._

St'kay chuckled. _We'll get some oil, mkay, girl?_

_Good._

St'kay fetched some oil, then began to rub her all over, until all that was left was the wing. He bit his lip. She claimed it itched something awful, and imperfect hide would, as they'd been told countless times, be dangerous when flying and _between_ing. But St'kay didn't want to unbandage the wing, and he didn't want to hurt her. He would ask V'lian, but the Weyrlingmaster was busy chewing out a poor, trembling bluerider.

They finally compromised by pouring the oil over the bandages, letting it seep through.

Just then, St'kay heard someone say, "Hello, St'kay, I'm here to see how Kaelbrith's doi- WHAT IN THE NAME OF THE EGG ARE YOU DOING?"

St'kay and his dragon jumped at Masterhealer Flinorn's shout. "J-just oiling Kaelbrith's wing! She said it itched, but I didn't wanna deal with the banda-"

"THE BANDAGES –!" the Healer began, then took a deep breath. He said in a more normal voice, "The bandages are completely ruined now, boy!" He wrenched the pot of oil from the greenrider's trembling hands. The lad fell back against his equally shaky dragon, both staring wide-eyed up at the livid Flinorn. "You _always _ask first! Always! This is for the health of your dragon's wing, Weyrling! What dimglow gave you oil in the first place?"

"It's where it always is, s-sir," said St'kay.

The man glared at him. "Well, come along now. We're gonna hafta redo her bandages now."

And so the two of them followed the masterhealer back to the infirmary, heads hanging, ashamed.

* * *

Fortunately, St'kay's friends were sympathetic. 

"That sharding dim-glowed Egg breaker…!"

"Why'd he make such a big deal outta nothin'?"

"So you ruined a set of bandages! Why does that matter?"

… And so on. Most of the meal was spent roundly abusing poor Flinorn until a senior dragonrider realized what they were doing, and all of the lads were given tunnelsnake hunting duties, despite their protests that they had fledgling dragons to look after.

* * *

But despite any discomfort between St'kay and Master Flinorn, Kaelbrith was improving every day. Less pain seared through St'kay's elbow when she moved her wing, and she was becoming more impatient to get in the air again. 

_I want to fly, _she said stubbornly to St'kay as he sat with her, trying to explain for the billionth time why she couldn't. _All the others are. I could carry you. It doesn't hurt any more. I could fly._

"You hafta wait for the healers' permission," St'kay said patiently. "They wanna make sure you're completely well again. An' they were saying something else." He screwed up his face. "Something about… your muscles… _atrophilying_, or something."

_What? _Kaelbrith said blankly.

"A… ah, um… atro… atro… atrophying!" St'kay said, proud of himself for remembering the word.

_What does it mean? _Kaelbrith asked.

He shrugged.

* * *

The next morning at breakfast, Kaelbrith touched St'kay's mind. 

_What is it? _he asked, swallowing a mouthful of food.

_Travith says we are to go to him and his rider after we eat, _she relayed.

_Why?_ St'kay asked, puzzled. Travith was the brown dragon of the retired Weyrlingmaster, A'loyn.

Kaelbrith gave him a draconic shrug. _I did not ask._

_Well, why not? _St'kay asked.

Another mental shrug.

_Oh, well. I'll meet him. Did he say where?_

_By the Lake, _Kaelbrith said.

_Mkay. Be ready, love._

_I always am, _she replied.

* * *

True to his word, St'kay made his way down to the Lake after he finished eating, walking there with his friends, who were almost finished learning to go _between_. Talk was of how they would soon join Wings and get their own weyrs, and St'kay was insanely jealous, though he just blanked his face, not letting it show. 

When he reached the Lake, there was brown Travith, with A'loyn leaning against his ribs. Kaelbrith was waiting next to them, and she quickly moved forward to nuzzle her rider.

St'kay was surprised to see another dragon, about Kaelbrith's age, also with her and Travith. The dragon was a brown, but so dark in coloration that he almost looked black.There was a young man, only a little older than St'kay, rubbing the beast's eye ridges and murmuring in the general area of his ear.

"Hello, St'kay," said A'loyn, pushing off of Travith and walking toward the greenrider, stretching out his hand to clutch St'kay's forearm.

"Hello," St'kay replied.

"Oh, yes," A'loyn said. "This is T'nas."

"You don't pronounce the _s_," the brownrider drawled lazily. "Tuuhh-_naawww_." He drew the word out exaggeratedly. He had thick, wavy black hair, a long nose, and dark eyes. He lounged carelessly against his dragon, oozing insolence.

Not to be outdone, A'loyn said, "Ah, yes, this is _Tuhh-naww_, and his dragon –"

"– Ayroth," T'nas broke in. "I'll introduce my own dragon, thanks."

A'loyn continued as though nothing had happened. "– Ayroth. He's been transferred to this Weyr from Telgar. T'nas, this is St'kay and green Kae-"

"Kaelbrith, I know, you _and_ Ayroth already told me," T'nas said, yawning. St'kay was stunned by his disrespect. This was an older rider, an ex-Weyrlingmaster, no less, and yet this lad was treating him as though he held no more rank than a drudge.

A'loyn's face twitched, and his lips tightened, but he didn't react. St'kay couldn't see why. Didn't T'nas deserve to be punished for his insolence?

"So, we're going to test T'nas and Ayroth to see if they're at the same level as you Bendenites, and we're gonna get Kaelbrith up in the air again, so her wings can get stronger."

St'kay felt his heart leap with excitement. _You hear that, Kae? We're gonna fly today!_ Their joy rebounded between them, and they filled with happiness.

T'nas yawned.

* * *

**A/Ns: That's all! Reviews are nice...**


	5. Chapter 5: Private Tutor

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Pern/dragons._**

**A/Ns: I finally updated... Well, it hasn't been as long as the last gap. My lovely beta had a bit of stuffs to work out, so there was a slight delay. But she managed to get this chapter edited! Yay for KiaraAlexisKlay! (_Applaud now._) Right. Anyway, please read and review.**

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* * *

**"Okay," A'loyn said. "Firstly, both of you mount up." 

St'kay realized that Kaelbrith was geared up for riding. He happily scurried to her side, and then froze. He watched T'nas easily vault to Ayroth's brown neck, settling himself, and A'loyn, despite his age, also got on Travith with the smoothness of practice.

St'kay, on the other hand, had only climbed to Kaelbrith's neck once in his life, and it had been far from a graceful ascent. He was incredibly embarrassed. His messy scramble to the little niche between her neck ridges was going to be humiliating in the face of their quick, agile leaps.

Kaelbrith was crouching, waiting for him to mount. _What is wrong? _she wanted to know.

_I – I've only ridden you once, _St'kay said, blushing furiously. _I'm not gonna look as… as good as they did._

_So? _Kaelbrith asked.

_So it'll be embarrassing, _St'kay said.

"What's the matter, St'kay?" A'loyn called.

"I've…" St'kay began awkwardly. "I've only gotten on… I've only gone up… I've only mounted…" He floundered.

"Oh, you can't get on Kaelbrith?" A'loyn said. He slipped off of Travith's neck. The brown _harrum_phed impatiently, swaying. "Here, lad." The ex-Weyrlingmaster laced his fingers together, ready to give St'kay a leg up.

Still horribly embarrassed, St'kay stepped on A'loyn's hands and jumped onto Kaelbrith's waiting neck. He settled himself and she straightened, shaking herself. A'loyn hopped back on Travith. St'kay tried not to look at T'nas, not wanting to know if Ayroth's rider thought him pathetic.

"Fasten the riding straps," A'loyn commanded. T'nas sighed impatiently.

"I don't need riding straps," he said, clearly annoyed. St'kay's stomach twisted. If T'nas got his way and went without his riding straps, he, St'kay, who couldn't fly without them yet, would look even worse.

"Fasten your riding straps," A'loyn repeated firmly. "_Now_."

T'nas blew out a puff of air, but he reluctantly fastened the straps. St'kay did up his own, then trained his eyes on Travith's rider.

Kaelbrith shivered happily under St'kay. _We get to fly again! _she said brightly.

"Now, before we take off," A'loyn said. "St'kay, are you sure you don't want Kaelbrith to just go on her own first? Will you be too heavy for her? She's only just healed."

St'kay had begun to ask her, but she'd already heard, and she balked angrily. _You are my rider! I can _always_ carry you._

"I think we'll be okay," St'kay informed A'loyn.

"All right, but we're only going to go for a little while. Don't want to strain her any more than we need to. We want to ease her gently back into flying," the brownrider said.

St'kay looked over at T'nas, who was idly rubbing Ayroth's neck. Why was the other lad going to be flying with them? Why had he left Telgar Weyr?

"Ready?" A'loyn asked. St'kay nodded, but T'nas didn't. Ignoring this, A'loyn lifted his arm, and then brought it down swiftly in the signal to lift off.

Kaelbrith pushed off, powering her wings. Her takeoff was less than graceful, and she wobbled in the air. Afraid for her, St'kay immediately reached for her mind as he bent forward to wrap his arms around her neck, ignoring the neck ridge digging into his chest.

_Are you okay? _he asked anxiously.

_I am fine! _Kaelbrith replied rebelliously. As though to prove her point, she flapped harder, leveling out. Despite the fact that she hadn't flown in a long time, she was still a dragon, and strong. Besides, she'd been walking around everywhere, and that took a considerable amount of effort for dragons, who were built for flight.

Travith beat his wings smoothly as he glided through the air; his gray-tinged hide still flashing in the sun as he effortlessly rode the air. A'loyn's face held an expression of soft joy as he leaned easily forward, the wind pushing back his light hair. They weren't wearing anything to protect their heads or eyes, because all they were doing was circling in the Weyr Bowl.

T'nas and Ayroth, on the other hand, looked different. Ayroth was small for a brown, but his flight was odd. His whole body seemed to twist and ripple with every stroke of his wings, almost as though he was swimming through the air. His eyes were a bright green and spinning quickly. On his neck, T'nas sat, almost lazily, his face screwed up against the wind. He wasn't leaning forward, but sitting upright, slouching slightly. His body rocked with Ayroth's motion.

Kaelbrith was beginning to get back in the groove of flying. It was instinctive for a dragon, after all. She was much smoother than she had been initially. St'kay felt a deep, bubbling joy to be back in the air with her. He trusted utterly in her wings, in her ability to keep him safe. And her delight to be aloft with him was pouring through him, too, adding to his own.

Finally, he reached deeper into her mind, wanting to strengthen their contact. But once in there, he was appalled.

_Kaelbrith! _he cried, shocked. _You're _exhausted

_No, I'm not, _she replied stubbornly.

_Land, _he said firmly. She had hidden her weariness from him well, but now he realized how tired she was.

_I don't want to land, _she said petulantly. _I want to fly with you._

_I don't want you hurt! _St'kay said. _Please, Kae?_

With a final sigh, Kaelbrith bent to his will and said, _I'm telling Travith._

A moment later, A'loyn cupped his hands around his mouth, shouting over the wind, "Go 'head and land by the Lake, St'kay! T'nas and I are gonna fly a little longer!"

"A'right!" St'kay called back. _C'mon, girl, _he said.

She reluctantly began a downward spiral, sending the wind whistling through St'kay's sand-colored hair. He hugged Kaelbrith's neck, delighting in the feel of her smooth hide and the swoop in his stomach as they eased down.

She touched the ground daintily – after the initial bump – and swayed for a moment, folding her wings to her sides. Despite how much she'd rebelled at landing, she couldn't hide her relief to be back on the ground, resting her aching wings. The injured one was throbbing, St'kay could tell.

"Great job!" he said enthusiastically, trying to make up for her sadness at being landbound once more. "That was fantastic! I can't wait 'till we fly again!"

_Me either, _she said, proud. She ruffled her wings, twisting her neck around so she could look at her rider.

Slipping back into mental speech, St'kay asked, _What're A'loyn and T'nas doing?_

_Ayroth and his rider are being tested, _his green reported. _Travith's rider is… seeing what level he is at._

_Do you know why Ayroth and T'nas came from Telgar? _St'kay inquired.

There was a pause. _No, _she said.

_Did you ask?_

_No. Ayroth is occupied, _came the answer.

St'kay craned his neck back to watch Travith lead Ayroth on a dipping, twisting path, finally winking _between_. Ayroth promptly followed.

St'kay sighed. Could everyone go _between_ but him and Kaelbrith?

_We will soon, _Kaelbrith told him fiercely. _We will._

* * *

St'kay, unsure of what to do next, wandered over with Kaelbrith to the weyrlings, who were sitting in a circle around V'lian and Muridth. The Weyrlingmaster was lecturing them. 

B'nor, hearing their approach, turned around. Seeing St'kay and Kaelbrith, he slid away from R'lern, gesturing in a _'come here!'_ motion. St'kay said goodbye to his dragon, who went over to join some of the other dragons. St'kay slipped between R'lern and B'nor.

"… Will start to accompany the older riders on their duties," V'lian said. "You will also be moving to your own weyrs. Normally, you would've sooner, but the Weyrleaders and I discussed it thoroughly, and decided that you should wait until you were almost ready for Wings."

A ripple of indignation went around the group. They were already supposed to have their own weyrs?

But V'lian continued, ignoring this reaction. "So, as I was saying, you will begin to join Wings, going with them to Holds and practices, so that their Wingleaders and riders can get an idea of what you and your dragon are like.

"Normally, before you finally joined your own Wing, you would enter the Weyrlings' Wing, which brings firestone to the dragons in Falls. However, since we are in an Interval, this is unnecessary, and you will go straight to your official Wings.

"When it has been decided which Wing you will join, the Wingleader will approach you and inform you. By then, you will be true dragonriders," V'lian finished. "Any questions?"

_What about _me_, though?_ St'kay wondered. He and Kaelbrith were hardly ready to join a Wing yet.

V'lian's eye caught on St'kay. "Ah, St'kay," he said, and all eyes snapped to Kaelbrith's rider, who shrank back at the attention. "Please see me afterward," the Weyrlingmaster said.

B'nor nudged St'kay, muttering, "Don' worry. You dinn'it do anything wrong."

After the meeting, the weyrlings were allowed to go and get water to drink and oil for their dragons. St'kay, however, was resigned to talking to V'lian.

"How's Kaelbrith?" V'lian asked courteously.

"She's much better," St'kay said politely. "We flew today with A'loyn and T'nas."

"Ah, yes," V'lian said, nodding. "How did she do?"

"She flew pretty well once we'd started, but she got tired quickly," St'kay said, frowning slightly at the memory.

"Don't worry," Muridth's rider said. "I'd not expect her to go for a long time after so long out of action."

St'kay nodded.

"Anyway, I'm sure you're wondering about being put in a Wing," V'lian said. St'kay nodded noiselessly again. "Well, obviously, we can't, yet."

"Yes, sir," St'kay said.

"You're going to be privately coached through the normal stages of what the weyrlings learn," V'lian said. "You two've already watched the rest of them go through it all, correct?"

"Yes, I watched."

"So, you will have your own personal Weyrlingmaster," V'lian said. Seeing the slight widening of St'kay's eyes, he let out a deep laugh. "Don't worry, I won't be the one teaching you! No, I've done enough to deserve a break until the next clutch."

St'kay couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Imagine spending too much one-on-one time with V'lian!

"Your tutor will be A'loyn," V'lian said. St'kay pondered this. Travith's rider wasn't that bad, he reflected.

"Will – will T'nas be learning with me?" he asked. When he said T'nas' name, he couldn't help but remember _'Tuhh-naww'…_

"No, he's already well past the learning level," V'lian said. "He only flew with you and A'loyn to give an impression of how well he was doing. And he's ready for a Wing."

Another inward sigh of relief. He wouldn't have to deal too closely with Ayroth's rude rider.

"So, do you have any questions?"

"No, I don't think so," St'kay said.

"Good. Now, off you go. I'm sure Kaelbrith could use some oiling."

"That she could," St'kay admitted.

* * *

That day, St'kay didn't see any more of T'nas. A'loyn showed up for lunch and then dinner, but there was no sign of Ayroth's rider. 

The next day, Kaelbrith and St'kay met A'loyn by the Lake.

Bypassing the usual greetings, A'loyn said, "So, V'lian told you the plan?"

St'kay nodded.

"We'll begin, I think, with flying a bit every day," A'loyn said. "Strengthen it gradually. We don't want to tire her out too much at first. Don't worry. Dragons are quick to get back to full strength with a minor injury like the one she had."

St'kay felt a ripple of annoyance. _'Minor injury'_? That had her out of commission for so long?

"When we're not flying, we'll have her work on firestone," A'loyn continued. "It's not too hard, and we should finish with it quickly. After that, we have to hope she's ready enough for _between_."

St'kay and Kaelbrith shared their excitement. _Between_! How long they'd waited to learn to slip instantly from place to place.

"Let's go for our fly now," A'loyn said. "We have some riding gear here," he added, pushing Travith's shoulder gently. The big brown obligingly stepped aside to reveal a heap of equipment, like riding straps. "Shall we?"

* * *

After dinner, they all made their way back to the barracks. 

"Soon we'll be well rid of these," R'lern said as they approached them. "Think of it – our own weyrs!"

"For all of you," St'kay said ruefully.

"Don't worry," T'snis said bracingly. "Kaelbrith's already flying again, isn't she? You'll have your own in no time, just like us."

_We will, you know, _Kaelbrith said.

_I know! _St'kay assured her.

As they began getting ready for bed, St'kay reached for his dragon's mind again. _Look, Kae, _he said. _Sorry about how I've been acting lately._

_What do you mean? _Kaelbrith asked, puzzled.

_I mean… I've been upset and – and moody all the time, _he said. _I guess I've been kinda feeling – I dunno, left out or somethin'. Everyone's getting all their new Wings, weyrs, an' learning all the cool stuff that comes with being a dragonrider, and I have to deal with snotty brownriders who get all mad when you forget that the 's' in their name is silent. I haven't really stopped t'think how lucky I am just t'have you with me._ After a moment, he chuckled. _Wow, that was quite the speech, wasn't it?_

_Don't worry, _she said. _I love you. I don't like it when you feel bad, though._

_That's just it. I'll try to be more positive. And I love you, too._

_I love you more._

_Naw, _I _love _you_ more!_ St'kay said, grinning.

_No, _I _do!_

_Impossible!_

On that happy note, they bid each other good night.

* * *

Kaelbrith and St'kay began to fly every day, strengthening her wings. It was true – dragons recovered quickly – and she was soon flying strongly. A'loyn no longer flew with them every day. 

The rest of the weyrlings – soon to be not weyrlings – were all bubbling with exciting news at dinner.

"We went to the Hold today!" B'nor said one evening, between stuffing bites of wherry into his mouth. "V'tron went with us. It's amazing! All the people are so respectful!"

"I went to Lemos," R'lern contributed. "All the children wanted to pet Xoteth!"

And so on. Talk was beginning to turn to what Wingleader was the most desirable to serve under, and what Wing people thought they would be put into. St'kay was feeling extremely left out. Kaelbrith was improving every day, but she was not even ready for _between_ or firestone yet.

_Soon,_ Kaelbrith said, still firm and solid, despite the fact that she'd given him the exact same message countless times now.

_Sorry,_ St'kay said meekly.

* * *

**I thought the ending was kinda weak, and I tacked that last couple lines on there. It still sounds weak. But aside from that, please give me your opinions on this chapter. (What is it? Four? Five? Six?)**


	6. Chapter 6: Joining a Wing

**Hi… Um, well, this is awkward. I see I haven't updated this story in about three months. But I'm updating now! You can thank TheDreamerLady for kicking me off my lazy bum and writing this chapter. I dunno if it's any good, but it's about time I updated, hm? I have excuses, but no one really wants to hear them.**

**Oh, and it is in this chapter that I introduce my omigoshplot that is ohsodramatic and stuff. I don't know if it's any good, but yeah. Any input at all is greatly appreciated.**

**So, again, my apologies, and please tell me what you think.**

**(Also, this chapter is sadly short on Kaelbrith. I like writing her, but she doesn't have any lines.) **

* * *

"Ow!" St'kay yelped, jumping backward as he collided with a solid figure while he walked through the Weyr Bowl.

"Mmf." The person emitted a strange, muffled sound, attempting to keep the volume down.

"Sorry," St'kay said sheepishly, backing away a little more and briefly looking up. He gave an inward groan as he recognized _'Tuhh-naww'_.

"You're St'kay, righ'?" T'nas said, blinking as he recognized the other dragonman. "Kaelbrith's rider?"

"You remember?" St'kay said, unable to hide his surprise. T'nas hadn't even acknowledged his existence when they'd flown with A'loyn.

"I r'member names 'n faces easy," T'nas said haughtily. St'kay ground his teeth.

"You happen t' be related to K'ronz?" he wondered aloud.

"K'ronz?" T'nas snorted. "That arrogant lump?"

"You think _he_'s arrogant!" St'kay exclaimed, the words flying from his mouth before he could think about their impact.

T'nas arched a delicate eyebrow. "What're you implying?"

_What am I _implying_? Isn't it obvious?_ "Well… um, sorry," St'kay mumbled.

But T'nas seemed stubbornly set on St'kay's 'implication' that he was arrogant. "Why do you think I'm stuck-up?" he demanded.

"'Cos you are," St'kay replied truthfully.

T'nas's eyes flashed in anger.

"What?" St'kay snapped hotly, his temper firing up unreasonably.

"You don't even know me!" T'nas hissed. "So you flew with me once!"

"ONCE WAS ENOUGH!" St'kay shouted.

"Whoa, whoa," said a familiar, deep voice, and the two arguing dragonriders looked up to see V'lian frowning at them holding up a hand to shade his eyes from the sun. "What's the matter here? Why in the name of the Egg are you two screeching at each other in the middle of the Bowl?"

"He's saying I'm arrogant!"

"He's being annoying!"

"You sound like two bickering holdchildren," V'lian said sternly. "Grow up, lads! You're dragonmen now. Act the part!"

"Yes, please act like a dragonman," St'kay snarled under his breath to T'nas.

"If _you_ will," growled Ayroth's rider, jamming a hand through his dark hair.

V'lian rolled his eyes and walked away, while T'nas brushed past St'kay, making sure to let his shoulder smash into the greenrider's.

* * *

"_Between_'s easy," St'kay commented, popping a slice of wherry meat into his mouth.

"Toldja so," B'nor said, grinning and reaching across T'snis to grab some tubers.

"Can Kae chew firestone yet?" asked R'lern.

"Oh, yeah, we did that today too," St'kay said proudly. "And she's almost back to full strength."

"Dragons heal quick," T'snis said wisely.

Just then, M'lil raced in, finally flopping down at the table, his face split in a wide grin and his eyes sparkling.

"What took you so long?" B'nor asked brown Skith's rider.

"_Guess what_!" M'lil all but squeaked. Without waiting for a reply, he blurted, "I'm in D'maz's Wing!"

"_Really_?" Food fell forgotten from forks as everyone gasped and leaned forward.

"Yep!" M'lil said proudly. "I was walking in and D'maz just walked up to me and said something like 'I've been given permission to fly with you…' or something. Either way, Skith and I have our Wing now!"

Before long, almost all the riders who had been in St'kay's weyrling class had been assigned to their Wings. This also meant that they didn't sit at the weyrling table any more. To avoid embarrassment for the as-yet-unassigned St'kay, A'loyn told him that he could sit with B'nor at another table.

"Guess what," B'nor said one night at dinner, after St'kay had finished a passionate argument with another rider.

"What?"

"T'nas is in my Wing."

"_What?_" St'kay said, a bit of meat slipping off his fork. "I feel bad for you! How come you never said anything before?"

"'Cos I didn't know. But he showed up at our meeting today and Wingleader A'lask introduced him. He's gotta be the one ya told me about. He's _annoying_."

"No kidding me," St'kay mumbled, rolling his eyes.

"But…" B'nor absently pushed a tuber around on his plate with his fork, avoiding his cousin's gaze. "Have you started to think about…?"

"Yeah?" St'kay asked, glancing at B'nor in confusion when the brownrider trailed off.

"…About Kaelbrith mating."

St'kay blinked. He shrugged, gulping more meat down with gusto as he felt his neck, cheeks, and ears heat up when he felt all his fellow riders' eyes on him. They weren't really close friends with any other greenriders, so he was the only rider of a female dragon with them.

"What does that have to do with T'nas?" he asked lightly. His face immediately colored as he jumped to the obvious conclusion.

"Whoa, whoa, no, hold on!" cried B'nor, lifting his hands as St'kay began to choke violently on the food he'd been attempting to swallow. T'snis thumped him enthusiastically on the back. "He just made me think of it."

"Why?" gagged out St'kay as T'snis pounded him on the back with his fist.

"Dunno. Well?"

"I mean… I never really think about it. But I'll do whatever I hafta for Kaelbrith," St'kay said firmly.

B'nor and the others nodded quietly.

"I would too."

* * *

T'nas leaned back against Ayroth's soft, slowly rising and falling side. The brown's neck was curled around so his right eye could stare at his rider unblinkingly.

_You are angry._

"Because I'm in a Wing with the most pathetic Wingleader ever!"

_What is wrong with Shellamith's rider?_

T'nas shook his head, sighing impatiently. "You wouldn't understand."

_I wouldn't?_

"No. It's a human thing."

_Ah. _Ayroth looked up at his partner, eye spinning faster as he sent a rush of loving trust across their mental link. _You say that a lot. But I believe you._

"Of course." T'nas stroked the hide of his dragon. "Why should I lie to you?"

_You wouldn't._

Another pang raced through T'nas. "That's right," he said, confirming it as much to himself as to his dragon. "I wouldn't. I would _never_."

Soon, Ayroth drifted off into an easy sleep, though his rider despaired at ever reaching such a state. His mind was swirling.

Hiding something from your dragon was a terrible thing to do, especially when it was something like this, something that slowly was tearing you apart by the seams. Your dragon was _there_ to help you with things like that, to sympathize and comfort you, to share your pain and ease it. But T'nas had always had difficulty in opening up, and even after Impression, he'd kept his skill at hiding things.

Ayroth's innocent trust was unnerving and sent pangs of guilt shooting through his rider on a daily basis.

But if he looked at it, T'nas realized he had no other option. What he and Telgar were doing was… Well, it wasn't something he believed Ayroth would understand. Or agree with. True, the dragon was obliged to love and admire his rider, but… There were limits. Well, was what T'nas was doing _wrong_?

Shards, he hated thinking about this. His thoughts just kept running in circles, dancing through his mind and taunting him.

He groaned and jammed his hands through his hair, and closed his eyes, the image of Ayroth's trusting gaze burned into his eyelids.

* * *

Kaelbrith was soon flying smoothly and strongly, her wings and body back to full strength and health. She would never be a large dragon, her frame still thin and wiry, as she had been at hatching, but her hide glowed in indication of a well-fed, well-cared for dragon.

Indeed, it wasn't long before K'lamion, rider of bronze Kaachith, approached St'kay one day as Kaelbrith fed.

"Hello, green Kaelbrith's rider," said K'lamion warmly and companionably, sitting himself down easily beside St'kay.

Rather overwhelmed, St'kay spluttered, "Hello, Wingleader."

"She's a pretty thing, isn't she?" murmured K'lamion, his eyes on Kaelbrith as she latched her talons onto a herdbeast, killing it.

The usual glow of proud admiration flooded St'kay's stomach. "Thank you," he said with quiet pride.

"She flies well, too, doesn't she," continued K'lamion, his tone calm, while St'kay's heartbeat sped up. "I've seen you two. Beautiful to watch."

"Thank you," St'kay said again.

"Perhaps you'd like to join our Wing," said K'lamion in an offhand kind of tone, watching as Kaelbrith dug her snout greedily into her kill. Kaachith was swooping down on another herdbeast, ready to dispatch it.

St'kay's stomach went _whump_. "Really?" he gasped, his fingers tightening on the grass. K'lamion was known to be an excellent Wingleader, strict but down-to-Pern, and he treated his riders like equals.

"Yes." A slight amused smile flitted around the corners of K'lamion's mouth. "What do you say?"

One could hardly turn down an offer to join a Wing! "Thank you very much, Wingleader," St'kay said respectfully, remembering his manners and managing not to stutter. "We'd like that. We'd like it a lot."


End file.
